2019 Kia Forte vs 2020 Toyota Prius

The 2019 Kia Forte might have appeared to be a mere facelift, but it was actually an all-new generation. It retained its jellybean-like shape and plucky front-end design, with a subtle swoop along the side. The taillight band connecting each side above the license plate was a less favored design element, but overall, the Forte had a more mature look. It featured additional small rear quarter windows and flatter, lower windowsills. Styling cues from the sporty Kia Stinger were evident in the grille, headlights, and lower-grille design. Inside, the Forte’s cabin was contemporary and high-tech, with a sport steering wheel and floating touchscreen influenced by the Stinger. The instrument panel had a crisp look reminiscent of the Audi A3, thanks to the design influence of Peter Schreyer, formerly of Audi.

The 2020 Toyota Prius maintained its iconic jellybean-like shape, optimized for aerodynamics. Despite its hatchback design, visual tricks made it look more like a sedan. The Prius had a futuristic style that remained contemporary. Its cabin was revolutionary, with centrally located instrumentation and gauges. The Prius offered four trims: L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited. The L Eco came with 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The LE added features like a rear windshield wiper and parking sensors. The XLE brought 17-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, and heated front seats. The Limited trim added adaptive headlights, a head-up display, and an 11.6-inch touchscreen, though it lacked Android Auto.

The 2019 Kia Forte featured a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT. The CVT, branded as iVT by Kia, managed power well and provided immediate throttle response. The Forte was quick off the line and had ample power for highway passing. Its handling was impressive, with minimal body roll and precise steering. The Forte also offered a Drive Mode Selector with Normal, Sport, and Smart modes. Fuel economy with the CVT was 30 mpg city, 40 highway, and 34 combined. The FE trim with the CVT achieved the best fuel economy at 31/41/35 combined.

The 2020 Toyota Prius combined a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. It offered FWD and an AWD-e variant, which used a second electric motor for the rear wheels. The Prius had smooth acceleration, especially at lower speeds, with a seamless transition between electric and conventional power. It featured three drive modes: EV, Eco, and Power. The unique shifter design included an Engine Braking mode for downhill driving. The Prius had engaging handling, a smooth ride, and was ideal for commuting.

The 2019 Kia Forte's exterior length grew by 3.2 inches, and it was nearly an inch wider, resulting in a noticeably larger interior. The front seat had ample legroom, though headroom was tight for occupants over 6 feet tall. The backseat offered adequate headroom and legroom for taller passengers. The Forte had 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space, one of the largest in its class. The EX trim featured a smart trunk system that automatically opened when you stood behind the car for a few seconds.

The 2020 Toyota Prius made excellent use of its space. The front seats were spacious and comfortable, with good headroom and legroom. The rear seats also provided ample space, though taller passengers needed to watch their heads. The Prius had 50.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet with the seats up, depending on the trim. This made the Prius one of the most spacious and versatile hybrid vehicles. Despite its sedan-like design cues, the Prius was a hatchback, making it easy to load large items.

The 2019 Kia Forte came standard with an 8-inch UVO touchscreen, featuring a user-friendly layout with vivid colors and fonts. It included physical buttons and conventional tuning and volume dials. The UVO e-services provided enhanced roadside assistance, vehicle diagnostics, and a smartphone app for locating your car.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, offering Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi hotspot, and three USB ports. The Limited trim upgraded to an 11.6-inch screen with a customizable layout, though it lacked Android Auto. The Prius also offered satellite radio, HD Radio, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker JBL premium audio system. The top-center instrument panel displayed hybrid drivetrain status and other critical readouts.

The 2019 Kia Forte offered standard forward-collision avoidance, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and driver-attention warning. It also included a reversing camera, traction control, and front- and side-impact airbags. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control. The lane-keeping assist was particularly effective, providing minor steering inputs to keep the car centered in the lane.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, and active park assist. The lane-tracing assist helped center the vehicle in its lane. The Prius earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick" from the IIHS, though it fell short of the highest rating due to "average" scores in some tests.